Show-case and ice-box



` (No Model.)

A. WEISS 8v E. F. W. KUNZE. SHOW CASE AND 10B BOX'.

Patented July 14i 1891.

A TTOHNEYJ'.

muro-mum msmasvou, u.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE..

ALEXANDER VEISS AND ERNST F. W'. KUNZE, OF ST. LOUIS,MlSSOURl'.

SHOW-CASEAND ICE-BOX.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 455,915, dated July1.4, 1891.

' Application fried November 17,1890. Asain No. 371,702. (No model.) v

v had to the accompanying drawings,forming a part hereof.

Our invention relates to improvements in refrigerators; and it consistsin the novel arrangement and combination of parts, as will be more fullyhereinafter described, and designated in the claim. l

In the drawings, Figure l is a perspective view of our invention.. Fig.2 is a vertical longitudinal section of the same. Fig. 3 is alongitudinal section of the telescoping doors which we employ incarrying out our invention. Fig. 4 is a modification of our invention,showing a plurality of show-cases arranged around a common ice-box '0rrefrigerator. Fig. 5 is an enlarged cross-section of thesupporting-frame of the show-case, show-4 ing the manner in which thesame is put' together.

Referring to the drawings, l represents an ice-box or refrigerator,constructed of wood principally, but having one of its exposed orvisible sides 2 constructed of glass or any transparent material, sothat the contents of the interior of the ice-box or refrigerator can beinspected without opening the door of the same. The glass side or face 2may form either side of the ice-box, but it is preferably situatedadjacent to the show-case. Said glass face or side has double walls, andinterposed between which walls is a layer or stratum of air, or anytransparent non-heat-conducting material or medium.v The remaining sidesof the ice-box are made after the ordinary construction ofrefrigeratingt-receptacles. Said ice-box or refrigerator is providedwith a door 3. Through the space which the said door incloses the -iceor refrigerating substance may be inserted and placed in the interior ofthe said ice-box, and is there supported on ice-rack 4.

5 indicates an operating-knob, by which the door can be opened andclosed at the option of the operator.

The ice-rack 4 is composed of a series of water-shed 9. ypan are securedto the sides of the ice-box, so

:bars or strips 7, the ends -of which Vrest on Asupportingstrips 8,which Strips are secured on the insides of the ice-box. Situateddirectly beneath said ice-rack is a drip-pan or 'lhree of the sides ofsaid dripas to form water-tight joints. The remaining side ot' saiddrip-pan standsajar from the side of the ice-box to permit the waterthat gathers on said pan to flow oth-and also to permit the cool airgenerated from the ice to pass out and in the show-case. kThe meltedwater that is formed from the ice iows from the drip-pan into a troughor receptacle l0, and is there retained in its liquid state until itbecomes warm and then slowly emerges and finds an exit through aninverted Siphon or water-trap ll.

l2 representsa show-case or transparent receptacle in which the meats,eatables, die., to be refrigerated are inclosed.v Two sides, the top,and one end of Saidshow-case are made of double glass walls, which areseparated by a layer or stratum of non-conduct'- ing air, which preventstheinclosed substances from becoming heated. Any non conducting gas maybe interposed between the glass walls, such as hydrogen; or in fact anygas in its restrained state has a very small conductivity. alsoconstructedwith double walls, but not essentially transparent, andbetween the layers of said bottom some non-conducting Ina- .terial ormedium Should be interposed, such as bran, shavings, sawdust, powderedsilica, dry leaves, asbestus, the. The remaining end of the show-case isleft open, and is in communication with the interior Space of the iceboXor refrigerator. The cool air generated and given off from the ice, andpossessing a great degree of humidity, and consequently an increasedspecific gravity over that of dry warm air, passes downward from the iceand permeates the interior Space of the show-case. (See arrows.) Thecool and humid air as it emerges from the ice-box approximately continesitself to the bottom of the` show-case while the warm and dry aircontained in the show-case passes along and confines itself to the topof the showcase, and isA iinally received in the ice-box compartment,and is there refrigerated. The sides and top of the The bottom of theshow-case is TOO showcase are provided with pieces 57 cruciJ forni 1ncross-section, on the outer and inner| faces of the side arms of whichthe plates of glass are secured, leaving between them an also to slidein between the walls 14 of section 15 of the show-case.

16 represents operating-knobs secured to the telescoping doors 13, bywhich they can be moved in any desired direction.

' 18 represents trestles, upon which our invention is exhibited, or i-tmay be placed or used on any support.

A plurality of show-cases can be arranged around an ice-box orrefrigerator, as shown in Fig. 4.

2O represents a transparent swinging door, hung on an operating-rod 21,With a handle 22 formed on the end ofsaid rod, so that the door can beoperated from on the outside. The object of this door is to throw theinclosed space of the ice-box and show-case into communication wheneverdesired.

Having fully described our invention, what we claim is-A n arefrigerator, the combination, with an elevated ice-box 1, having aninclined drippan f) therein, of an ice-support 4 above the saiddrip-pan, a laterally-disposed show-case below the top of the saidice-box and having vertical and horizontal pieces 57 in its side andtop, cruciform in cross-section, and having transparent plates securedto the outer and inner faces of the side arms of the said pieces 57andcontainingbetween them a layer of air, the said showcasecommunicating with the said ice-bor` above and below the icesupportcontained therein, a sliding door for the said showcase, consisting oftwo thicknesses of transparent material, the said door being adapted toslide between the transparent plates forming the sides of the case, anda pivoted door within the said case adapted to break the connectionbetween the said case and ice-box, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof We afiiX our signatures in presence of twowitnesses.

ALEXANDER W'EISS. ERNST F. NV. KUNZE.

Witnessess C. K. JoNEs, C. F. KEELER.

